A Grim Outlook On Life
by ShadowKnux
Summary: He's living with the Titans, uninvited. He's rude, vulgar, unsympathetic, sarcastic, and seems to hate the idea of love. Oh, and did I mention he's Death? R&R! There's some BBxRae, too!
1. Sentence From The Afterlife

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another fic of mine! I hope to make a good, compelling fic, and I hope that everybody likes the character of Death as we go through the story. But the only way to find out is to plunge on! Let's begin!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans.

**Chapter 1: Sentence From The Afterlife.**

A robed figure walked slowly through his surroundings. The black robe that covered his body, and had a hood that obscured his face from view ruffled slightly from the movement and slight breeze. Although his hand could not be seen out of the robe, he clutched a long staff, that he let touch the ground everytime he took a step. Of course, this event might not have been half as interesting if it wasn't for the fact that the robed figure's surrounding area was made up of clouds. Slight puffs of clouds rose each time he took a step on a cloud, as he walked towards a tall gold podium, and stood before if, looking up slightly.

At the top of the podium floated a ball of light. It emitted a golden glow that shined brightly, even from its current height. Not only that, but this orb was sentient, as demonstrated by the regal voice that it now issued towards the robed figure.

"Shall I summon your peers?" it asked solemnly. The robed figure shrugged in silence. "Very well." The orb shined a bit brighter, and silver tables rose from beneath the clouds, on either side of the podium, followed by chairs, where several figures began appearing, some robed, some with white wings from their back, some male, some female, all of varying size, stature, and age, however. Everyone had a solemn look on their face. "Are you ready for this meeting?" the orb asked. Once again, the robed figure merely shrugged.

"Insolent!" exclaimed one being to the left of the podium. A figure covered with sky blue armor, with holes for the wings from his back to sprout from, and a cross shaped hole in his helm, although there was no visible face behind it. "You stand at this meeting of utmost importance, and still treat it with the same flippant manner as you treat all things!" he cried out, pointing a finger in accusation at the robed figure.

"Calm yourself." the orb said, raising its majestic voice amidst the muttering of the other people, causing silence to fall once again.

The robed figured muttered a distinct "Windbag," although it went unheard by the others.

"Now then." came the orb's voice once again. "It has been repeatedly brought to our attention that you have denied the divine right to several of your assignments, almost all for the same reasons. Is this true?"

"Hit the nail on the head, I guess." the robed figure said nonchalantly.

"What do you have to say in your defense?"

"Simple. That reason doesn't exist, if you ask me." the robed one said simply, inciting mutterings from the audience of his peers, including the sad gaze of a young woman to the right.

"However, your peers insist that your logic is unreasonable, and have vehemently insisted that this is an unjust ruling on your part, and that something be done."

"Really? First I've heard of it."

"Whether it is or not, I have to agree that something must be done. The only issue is the deciding of a suitable sentence." the orb said seriously.

"Sentence, huh? Whatever." the robed figure said uncaringly.

"I insist that this unfeeling being be stripped of his title!" said the same outbursting being from before.

The robed figure banged his staff on the cloud beneath him, which thumped as it hit, and a curved silver edge emerged quickly from the tip, turning the staff into a scythe. "Watch it, pal, or I'll 'strip' you of more than your title." he said, pointing the scythe's edge menacingly.

"Insolent even in the face of punishment! Sir, I must insist!" the being said, addressing the orb.

"Without the vehemency, it is a consideration..." the orb said.

"Please, wait!" cried the young woman to the right of the podium. She appeared to be in her late teens, a very beautiful young woman, with a slender figure, almost shining skin, bright blue eyes, and flowing platinum hair. She wore a flowing white dress, and from her back were stunning angel wings, which only enhanced her beauty further. She was truly a sight to behold, and she now protested against the agreements from her peers. "Surely you must agree that the circumstances revolving around his appointment are probable cause for his outlook?" she pleaded.

At this, the figures muttered again, this time agreeing in defense of the robed figure. "While that may be so, something still must be done. However, what would you suggest, fair maiden of Life?" the orb asked.

"Perhaps...perhaps you could sent him down to the physical world? Perhaps being in contact with the people there from their standpoint will change his views..." the lady suggested.

"Hmm...an interesting proposal..." the orb said, considering the idea. "It has happened before, where one holds onto their views until proven otherwise...is there any opposition?" the orb asked. No one made any disagreements, even the armored being, although he refused to glance at the proceedings. "Very well. You will be sent to the physical world for an indefinite amount of time. Pending the decision of the limit set, when you return, if your ways have not changed, then there must be further punishment, most likely including the stripping of your title." the orb said, ending the meeting, as it resonated with a bright glow, vanishing, as well as the other beings vanishing in flashes of light, except for the young woman, and the robed figure himself.

"You didn't have to stand up for me." the robed figure said, cutting through the clouds with his scythe, and from the hole materialized a plush black chair, which the figure immediately plopped down on, still holding his scythe to the side. "Wouldn't really look right." he said.

"I don't care." the beauty said sincerely. She moved around to the side opposite his scythe, gazing at him with compassion. "They just don't understand..." she said, but was cut off by the figure.

"Felicia..." the robed figure said solemnly. "Let's face it. To them, I'm just an uncaring bastard, fit for position. And they're right, too."

"Don't say that!" Felicia said desperately. "They haven't seen the other side of you. But I have..." she said.

"And you're the only one, Felicia." the robed figure said, getting up. "Look, I better get going. I'm sure they want me down there as fast as possible." he said, walking away, taking his scythe with him, which retracted its blade and became a staff again.

Felicia looked after him, then clasped her hands together, silently hoping for her idea to succeed.

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In Jump City, it was another normal day. Everyone was going about their business as usual, whether it meant working, relaxing, or just hanging out. Or, in the case of a small group of teenage boys, trying to act cool was the usual business. Of course, in this day and age, the meaning of "cool" seems to have become a word for mean.

Of course, it's usually the ones that stand out that end up being the victim of such cruelty. And so, when these teens saw another, meeker looking teen dressed in a black robe with its hood down, walking while holding a stick almost as tall as him, it was obvious that he would be the next target. And so, as they passed behind him, the leader grabbed him by the shoulders roughly.

"Get a load of monk boy, here!" he said, to the laughter of his friends, as he pushed the teen forward, pulling his stick from him.

"Look at him! Is he trying to be an emo or somethin'?" another asked, laughing.

"And check out the stick. What, you think you some kinda wizard or something?" yet another said.

The leader of the group laughed and tossed the stick at the teen, who had been pushed to the ground by another, and they all left, laughing uproarously. As they walked, they saw a shop they decided to check out, and maybe pull a quick heist on, and crossed the road when they saw no cars coming. All the group crossed the road quickly, but the leader of the group didn't notice the crack in the ground quickly following him and opening wider, as if hunting him down. He suddenly found himself with his foot stuck in a gap, directly in the center of a lane, and to his horror, a huge truck, one of the kinds that deliver goods to big stores, was heading his way quickly. He struggled fruitlessly, gasping in panic as the truck quickly began growing in size as it beared down on him. He still struggled, sweating profusely. Finally, as it seemed the truck would surely crush him right there, the crack seemed to pull back, and he quickly fell forward onto the sidewalk as the truck zoomed past, breathing heavily from his fear.

Across the road, the teen that had previously been picked on by him and his group passively watched the teen recover from his frightening experience...

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"Titans, go!" Robin called out, as the group of teenage superheroes ran towards the latest menace to the city...Cinderblock, once again free from captivity, and enjoying his freedom all too much. Raven used her telekinetic powers to remove a streetlight from its position, and tossed it like a spear at Cinderblock, where it struck his head with a deafening clang, knocking the brute back a few inches. After this attack, Cyborg let out a battle yell as he launched his Sonic Cannon at Cinderblock, while Starfire pelted him with repeated starbolts, and Robin threw a few exploding discs. This combined assault knocked Cinderblock for a loop, making him slightly stunned. "BeastBoy, trip him now!" Robin called out. BeastBoy flashed Robin a thumbs up, and headed to Cinderblock's side, and transformed into an Ankylosaurus, using the creature's clubbed tail to smack Cinderblock in the legs, causing the hulking giant to begin to lose his balance, spinning and falling face first towards the ground.

It was at this moment, however, that a kid in his upper teens, dressed in a black robe, clutching a staff as tall as him, walked into the street at that moment, unwittingly walking directly into Cinderblock's path of falling.

"Oh, no!" Starfire gasped, as it appeared that Cinderblock was already too far on his designated descension for the Titans to get to the teenager in time.

"Look out!" BeastBoy called out to the kid, causing him to look up in time to see Cinderblock bearing down on him.

"Holy Hell!" the kid called out, gripping his staff tightly, which suddenly extended a curved silver edge emerged from the tip, turning into a scythe, as the teen leaped into the air, rotating his scythe so that it slashed upward. As soon as the blade made contact with Cinderblock, a glowing white light erupted as the scythe further sliced him from the teen's almost video game like rising slash, causing a huge line of bright light, the force of which pushed Cinderblock the other way, making him fall to the ground on his back, the glow dimming until it was gone. Once it was gone, Cinderblock stayed still. Once the kid landed back on the ground, the Titans got a better look at him. Short brown hair, slightly ruffled, and blueish green eyes. They couldn't make out much because of his robe, but the most striking bit about the kid was that the hand that clutched the scythe was completely skeletal, nothing but bone.

"Who is that kid?" Robin asked quietly.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, who could he be? I do hope you all stick with this story as it may seem as if he's claimed victory of Cinderblock easily, but it's not so simple, really. Stay tuned to see what I mean!

Also, stick around, as there's going to be a little bit of character development for the kid as he meets the Titans. What could result from that? Find out soon!

Don't forget to R&R! See ya!


	2. Death's New Life

Hello, anyone who's reading this! Let's move on to find out who this kid is, shall we?

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans.

**Chapter 2: Death's New Life.**

"Damn, that was close." the kid said, looking at the fallen body of Cinderblock, unmoving. "Hmm?" he said, noticing the Titans moving towards him.

"That was awesome!" BeastBoy told him.

"You took down the old blockhead in one hit!" Cyborg said, slapping the kid on the back, making him stumble forward.

"Thanks for your help." Robin said.

The kid straightened up his robe a little. "Help?" he said incredulously. "I was saving my own skin. And shouldn't you be taking care of the big lug?" he asked.

"Why? You just sliced the guy a new one." Cyborg said. At this point, Cinderblock stood up and let out a yell, causing the Titans to turn back in shock. Cinderblock had no visible wounds whatsoever. He looked perfectly intact.

"Did I forget to mention that my scythe doesn't inflict physical wounds?" the kid said nonchalantly.

"That would have been information we could have used!" Raven said, flying to the side as Cinderblock struck the ground.

"Oh, well. Bye!" the kid said, running off into the distance.

"Hey, wait!" Robin said, after smacking Cinderblock across the face with his staff, sending the hulking giant back.

"For one who just fell our foe, he is certainly most unhelpful!" Starfire said, firing her starbolts at Cinderblock.

And so the battle raged again. Although, this time, Cinderblock appeared as if he was recovering from something, so he wasn't putting up as much of a fight as before. And so, after several minutes of consistent attacking, Cinderblock fell for real this time, crashing onto the ground unconsciously, and being carted away by the proper authorities.

As the Titans were congratulating each other, they heard clapping. Turning, they saw the same kid from before clapping slowly, although unenthusiastically.

"Hooray. Hooray. Hail the conquering heroes, and all that garbage." he said sarcastically, stopping the clapping, and his staff reappeared in his hands in a flash of black fire.

"No thanks to you." Raven said icily.

"What are you talking about? I helped." the kid said.

"Then what about all that 'my scythe doesn't inflict physical wounds' stuff?" BeastBoy asked. The kid walked over to BeastBoy and bonked him on the head with his staff.

"Hello! Think, green bean!" he said bitterly. "There's more ways to hurt someone than physically. I cut his spirit, you moron!"

"Cut his spirit?" Raven said.

"Well, the soul and the spirit are closely linked. Being who I am, I can damage the spirit just like I can the soul." the kid said.

"Being who you are?" Robin said. "Then...who _are_ you?" he asked.

"Who am I?" the kid said. Spinning his staff behind him, he slammed it on the ground, and the curved blade came out, making it a scythe once again. "I'm Death." he said simply.

"Death?" Cyborg said incredulously. "You gotta be kidding me!" he said.

"Nope. My story is a sad one." the kid calling himself Death said. "I was a kid who grew up in a rough neighborhood. Murders were all around me. One day while I was working at my crappy job, a serial killer burst in and began slaughtering the place. The same one that had killed my family. I was overcome by hatred and attacked, so I was the first to go when he attacked. But I held on to my hatred, and came back the way I am now, and took the murderer down where he stood. But that came at a price. My power vanished after that one attack. Ever since, my soul has been unable to travel to a place of rest, and I must forever wander the earth, watching the destruction around me without a way to truly stop it." he finished, his head down.

"Wow..." Robin said.

"Horrendous..." Starfire said sadly.

"Yo, man, we didn't know you had it that bad..." Cyborg said.

"Sorry for what we said." BeastBoy said.

"We...didn't mean it." Raven said.

Death made a muffled sound, although the Titans couldn't make out his face. Suddenly, the Titans jumped back as Death burst out in derisive laughter, as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever.

"Hahahahahaha! I can't believe you actually fell for that!" he said, still laughing. "I didn't think anyone would fall for that load of bull!" he said.

"W-What?" Robin said in disbelief.

"I made that story up on the spot!" Death said. "I wanted to see if the first idiot I told would actually believe me! I hit the jackpot, now, didn't I?" he said.

"Y-You made it all up?" BeastBoy said angrily.

"No, not all of it." Death said. "I wasn't lying when I said I was Death. But everything else? Yeah, it was crap. Well, let's go. I'd like some food." he said, walking away.

"Go? Go where?" Cyborg said acidly.

"To your place. I helped you beat the big guy made out of rock, so I guess you owe me one. The least you could do is let me crash with you until I have to go back."

"Back to where?" Raven said suspiciously.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Death said, walking in the direction of the tower, and the Titans, although resentful, decided he was right about them owing him, and decided to let him come with them.

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Once inside the tower, Death looked around a little, and gave a low whistle. "Nice place." he said simply. Walking into the common room, he plopped onto the couch, letting his scythe lean against the arm of the couch. "Big TV." he said, before reaching for the remote, but BeastBoy appeared from above and grabbed the remote.

"Dude, it's my turn!" BeastBoy said, gripping the remote like it was his life's savings.

Death scowled. "You know, it would be common courtesy to let a new guest have the first go..." he said.

"Yeah, but you'll have to pry this remote from my hands, and I'm watching you!" BeastBoy said, flipping the TV on with the remote, but keeping his eyes on Death. Death sighed, and turned to face the TV. But his arm, the skeletal one, wasn't visible by BeastBoy, and suddenly, it popped off of Death's body, and scurried around the couch, to the other side of BeastBoy, who was still unaware of the presence of anyone other than Death. So, while BeastBoy kept an eye out for Death, his mobile skeletal arm snatched the remote right from BeastBoy's hand. "Hey!" he cried out, as the arm scurried back away, around the couch again, and reattached back to Death.

"What a coincidence. Looks like I just pried it out, didn't I?" Death said smugly. BeastBoy scowled as Death began flipping channels.

The other Titans were getting agitated.

"He is going to be...difficult to live with, is he not?" Starfire asked.

"It's just for a night or two, Star." Robin said.

"And then...he's out of here." Raven said.

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Later that night, rather than sleep, Death went out into the city while it was dark, to see what kind of things went on during the night. His scythe in hand, he was ready to do his job even while here on Earth. It wasn't long after he walked down the streets that he heard a commotion coming from a nearby alley. Walking over, he saw a woman struggling against a larger man.

"No means no, you jerk!" the woman cried out.

"Shut up!" the man yelled back. "You're gonna do it, and you're gonna like it!" he threatened.

"No, I'm not!" the woman shouted back, and she obviously knew what to do in these situations, because she pulled out a gun, and shot the man at point blank range, and ran off as the man fell backwards, wounded but still alive. Death watched mildly as the woman ran, and walked over to the weakening man, obviously dying from the wound.

"Guess you should've listened, eh, jackass?" Death said sardonically. Placing his skeletal hand on the man's forehead, he sensed something. "So, this is before your time, huh?" he said, and closed his eyes, and opened them, now standing in a empty white space with the man.

"W-Where am I?" the man said, placing his hand near his chest.

"I think you know, idiot." Death said. "Let's cut to the chase. I'll give you a chance to stay alive, but you have to have a good reason to return. If not, well..." he said, swinging his scythe in a demonstration.

The man began to panic. "I...I have a family to take care of!" he said desparately.

"Ten to one says that you wouldn't want to rape someone in your family, and whether she was or not, I think it's safe to say the family's better off without an unfaithful rapist in it. Denied, mother..." Death said, and exited the white space before finishing his sentence. As his eyes opened, and he was back in the real world, the man's eyes were closed, but he was still living. Death placed his scythe point at the man's chest, and slowly moved it to the side, cutting a glowing line in the man, from which a pale blue orb floated up, and as soon as it left the man's body, he stopped moving. Taking the small orb in his skeletal hand, Death looked at it idly. "I can feel it...a pretty dark soul. Well, time to sow what I've reaped, so to speak..." he said, and he let go of the orb, where it just floated there. He then took his scythe and slahed downward, sending the orb flying quickly downward, disappearing through the ground. "Burn in hell, bastard." Death said after the soul had traveled, and glanced once more at the body, and walked away, leaving it laying there.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, not a very cheerful person, is he? No, but then, when is death really a happy thing, right? Anyway, I hope I get good reviews for this chapter, as well as more than just one, you know?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! R&R! See ya next chapter!


	3. The First Day With Death

Hi, everybody! Let's hear a little more from Death, shall we? By the way, **_realfanficts_**, I'd love to hear what book you think Death should read.

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans.

**Chapter 3: The First Day With Death.**

Raven suppressed a yawn as she walked through the halls towards the common room. Raven was typically the earliest riser of the Titans, often getting up at six or slightly earlier to fix herself some morning tea. However early she may rise, though, she was never one to shine in the mornings, as exampled by the slightly glazed look in her eyes.

Those same glazed has had to be quickly shielded and closed, however, the minute she stepped into the common room, as the glow from the enormous television was the first thing she met as she walked in, temporarily blinding her. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, she had only one thing on her mind.

"I'm going to kill whoever left that on." she growled.

"Sounds like an opportunity lost, there." came a voice from the couch. Raven blinked several times, adjusting her eyes to the change in lighting, and as everything slowly came into focus, she saw Death staring back at her from the couch, gazing mildly at her while resting his head on his arms. "Good God, girl. You don't look like a morning person, that's for sure." he said smugly.

Raven closed her eyes in frustration. "You'd best not test me in the mornings, or I'm likely to rip your arm off." she said menacingly.

"Oh, really?" Death said, raising an eyebrow. "Let me save you the trouble." he said, pulling his skeletal arm from his body and waving it in the air. Raven just growled again in frustration at a failed threat, which normally would get anyone to bend to her will. Death chuckled to himself as he reattached his arm easily.

As Raven poured her tea, she asked irritably, "Shouldn't you still be asleep or something?"

"What, and miss all the great late night shows?" Death said. "Please. I mean, just look at what comes on!" he said, pressing a few buttons on the remote, and Raven watched as the television channel suddenly switched to a part in the middle of a man in woman in the middle of a very lewd action, all the while not exactly being quiet about it. Raven's eyes widened, as Death said, as if it was a side comment, "Interesting how her back can bend that way, huh?"

"Change it!" Raven commanded, quickly turning red.

"Suit yourself. It's the third repeat, anyway." Death said, changing the channel. Turning around to look at Raven again, he noticed her movements were definitely a little off, now. "Aww..." he said in a mocking tone. "That's so cute...you're all flustered." he said, grinning sadistically. Raven said nothing, but held her hand out in silence, which shot out a small shot of energy shaped like a curved cutter. "Oh, shi--!" Death said, ducking down, as the blast sailed over him and cut through the window in the common room.

"Don't call me 'cute.'" Raven commanded simply.

"Fine, fine...Jeez, chick can't take a joke. Can't stand people like that..." Death muttered. The minutes passed by in silence, Death and Raven each ignoring the other's presence. After a few minutes, the other Titans came into the common room, and paid no attention to the tense atmosphere. As the Titans were having breakfast, the alarm went off througout the tower, and all the Titans went to the screen quickly, taking over Death's current viewing, to his dismay.

"Kitten and Fang." Robin said simply, before everyone ran outside the tower, leaving Death inside, as if he was an unimportant item.

Looking around, Death said, "Well, alone at last." He switched the TV back to his show, and stared at the television blankly. After a few seconds..."I'm bored." Death said, and decided to go see how the Titans were doing, as it was better than nothing.

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The Titans were completely occupied with battling the spiderheaded villain, Fang, while his girlfriend Kitten yelled encouragement and complaints to him. As the Titans fought Fang all over the streets and buildings, Kitten stayed relatively in the same spot. That same spot was the one that Death walked over to, ignoring the action going on nearby.

"Personally, I can't believe some flatchested chick like you is giving them so much trouble." he said bluntly once he had stepped right in front of her.

"F-Flatchested?" Kitten yelled, instantly swinging her arm to slap Death, but Death put up his skeletal arm to block it, and the force of her blow knocked the arm off. "AAAHHH!" Kitten screamed in horror, unaware of Death's abilities. She screamed even louder once the arm began moving on its own, climbing up her leg, moving over to her chest, and giving her breast a blatant squeeze.

"Yep. Flatchested. I seriously hope you do some growing, or even Spider Face over there will dump you like garbage." Death said seriously.

"You shut up about him!" Kitten yelled, and Death's skeletal arm hopped from Kitten's body, back to Death, who caught it and reattached it.

"You're starting to give me a headache." he said, making his scythe, in staff form, appear in his hand in a flash of black fire. "How about you be quiet?" he said simply, and at the very tip of his scythe came out a long silver point, turning his staff formed scythe into a spear form. Without a word, he gently thrust the tip into Kitten's chest, who was frozen in shock in fear. As he pulled the tip back, a small hole, emitting a glowing white light, appeared, and dimmed after a while, and Kitten fell forward into Death's arms. Death's eyes seemed to grow distant, and he simply placed Kitten on the ground, leaning her against a building. It was at this time that the Titans had finally finished their battle with Fang, and came over to where Death was, with an unconscious Fang in hand. Taking a look at Death's spear, and Kitten's unconscious form, the Titans put together the pieces of that puzzle quickly.

"You _stabbed_ her?" Robin said incredulously.

"Why make such a big deal out of it?" Death said mildly. "No physical wounds, remember?"

"But still, it's the principal of the thing!" Cyborg said.

Death got a frustrated look on his face. "No, it's not!" he said vehemently. Before anyone could react, he swung his spear at the nearest Titan, BeastBoy, and cut him slightly across the chest, leaving a thin line of dim white light, which disappeared after a second.

"BeastBoy!" Starfire cried out in alarm.

"Cool it." Death said dryly. "He's not hurt. He should just feel a little tired. Do you, green bean?" he asked.

BeastBoy yawned widely before answering. "Yeah, I'm fine...But now, I think I need a nap." he said simply, a dull smile on his face.

"See?" Death said irritably. "I cut the spirit of those I attack. It's like an energy drain, basically. I'm not as strong as all of you showoffs are. But don't go rubbing your "holier than thou" attitudes in my face just because you have super abilities, and I've just got my scythe, my job and a bad attitude! I may not be a goody goody, but I'm not as damn heartless as you think!" he said in frustration, turning his back on the group and walking away. After he had walked a short distance, he turned his head slightly, and addressed them once more. "Miss Flat Chest will be out for a little while. Maybe a half hour. I didn't put much force in it. Better get her somewhere before she wakes up. Oh, and since that's another battle I helped you with, I'll just stay with you another night as payment." he said simply, then walked away. The Titans watched him walk into the distance in silence. Once he was gone, they conversed with each other.

"Guy took it pretty hard..." Cyborg said.

"Well, he attacked BeastBoy without hesitation." Robin said seriously.

"But, was that not merely a demonstration of his abilities? And is friend BeastBoy not okay, despite the attack?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I just want to nap for a few minutes..." BeastBoy said, yawning again.

"I don't trust him." Raven said simply. "If he expects us to treat him well, I think he should give us the same courtesy, as well as tell us his real story." she said. Even as she said it, though, she thought, _'But that's just it. I don't think he does expect us to...'_

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Much later, as night had fallen and the sky had darkened, Death stood in the park, stabbing at a tree with a distant look on his face, as if he wasn't even paying attention to what he was doing. Everytime he stabbed the tree, a dull glow came from the hole left, which dimmed and disappeared a second later. Death stabbed the tree several times, then changed his scythe from spear form to its actual scythe form, and hacked at the tree, which accumulated glowing cuts, but nary a physical wound to be seen, even when Death took and almighty swing, cutting completely through the base of the tree, causing a full ring of glowing light, and causing several leaves to die and fall around Death, but otherwise not harming the tree at all.

After a few seconds, Death became aware of the presence of someone other than himself. Turning, he noticed a man setting something up on a nearby tree. Death walked over slowly, and as he arrived, he realized the man was adjusting a noose around a tree limb. He was preparing to hang himself, that much was obvious.

The man noticed Death and regarded him sadly. "Don't try to change my mind. I've got nothing to go back for..." he said tiredly.

"It's not my job to interfere." Death said simply, watching the man get ready to hang himself blankly, then turning and walking away. "And it's none of my business, either..." he said, walking away as he heard the man initiate his own suicide.

Something must have gone wrong, however, as Death heard the sound of struggling, and then the crack of the branch breaking and the dull thud of the man landing on the ground. Death turned and saw the man breathing shallowly on the ground. He walked over to him, and saw that the rope had cut into his neck from the struggling, and the fall hadn't helped his physical condition much, either. Being who he was, Death sensed that even though his form was lackluster, the man was dying. Knowing what he had to do, Death placed his skeletal hand on the forehead of the man, and closed his eyes, and when he opened them, him and the man were in a blank white area.

"What's going on?" the man said.

"You're suicide plan went off track." Death said simply. "Let me ask you something. Do you really want to die?"

The man sighed. "I've lost everything that was important to me. I'd rather not go on living." he said sadly.

"I guess that's all I need to hear." Death said, closing his eyes, and exiting the white space once he opened them again. Gazing at the shallowly breathing body, he placed his scythe at the chest, and cut through once again, and the same pale blue orb that another man had exuded floated from the body, which stopped breathing as the orb floated out, and Death held it in his hand. "Hmm...still pretty pure. Hard to find nowadays. Circumstances just too much, I guess..." he said, examining the orb. "Well, then..." he said, releasing the orb in front of him, and as it floated, Death took his scythe, and placed it at the orb with the blade facing upward, and nudged it slightly, and the orb quickly rose up to the sky and out of sight. Death watched after it and then glanced back at the lifeless body. "Hmm...well, at least things are probably better now." he said simply, and walked away, deciding to head back to the tower.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Another chapter goes by! Seems Death can be a little testy with certain attitudes, and seems to be rather particular in his activities outside the tower. And who knows how it makes him feel? Stay tuned to find out!

Don't forget to give me big R&Rs! I'll see ya later!


	4. Death And Love

Hello, all! Let's journey forth into the continuing saga of Death and his life with the Titans, shall we?

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans. This little version of Death, however, is mine.

**Chapter 4: Death And Love.**

As Death walked into the common room after his impromptu job actions, he maneuvered through the dark common room, heading towards the couch, so that he could relax and watch TV. But as he got to the couch, he found BeastBoy laying there, apparently having fallen asleep, and no one had bothered to wake him up. Death's mouth twisted into a mildly bothered expression, then returned to its normal emotionless state, as he retracted his scythe blade, turning it into a staff once again. He then began gently jabbing BeastBoy with his staff.

"Hey...hey, Green Bean." Death said, trying to awaken him.

"Mmm..." BeastBoy groaned, his eyes opening slowly, although they only lifted about halfway before he began blinking, and slowly sat up, looking around dully. "Huh? Wha' happened?" he said sleepily.

"You clocked out on the couch. That happens to be my spot." Death said simply. BeastBoy blinked, trying to get Death into focus. "Not that I really care, but ten to one says that sleeping on your bed is bound to be more comfortable than sleeping there." Death said.

BeastBoy yawned. "You're right." he said, getting up. Once he was up, Death immediately slided into the spot he was, laying back to recline his head against the arm of the couch, and picking up the remote. Although BeastBoy had gotten up to head to his room, he had a thought while he was standing there, as Death turned on the TV and began flipping channels. "Say...Death?" he said.

"Hmm?" Death said absentmindedly.

"Well...you seem like the type who would listen to secrets...or, more likely, not care about them..." BeastBoy said.

"Probably." Death agreed.

"So...I've been needing to tell someone this for a while..." BeastBoy said, hesitating. "Umm...I...I think I'm in love with Raven." he said, almost in a whisper.

Death's body stiffened slighty, then relaxed after a few seconds. He remained silent for a while, still flipping channels, then simply said, "I see..." Placing the remote down, he stared blandly at the television, not really seeing it. After a while, he spoke up again. "So...how long until you go bone her, then?" he said bluntly.

"B-Bone her?" BeastBoy said, shocked. "No! Nothing like that! I said I love her, not that I want to...bone her!" he said frantically.

Death sighed in exasperation. "Let me tell...or better yet, show you, something, Green Bean." Death said, picking the remote up again, and flipping several channels, until he got to the same lewd program he had shown Raven a day earlier in the day. BeastBoy blushed heavily, yet couldn't seem to force his vision away. "This, my naive little hero...is love. 'Love' is only an excuse to do this action you see here. So I guess hookers 'love' a lot of people, huh?" Death said, an empty look on his face. BeastBoy stared at him in disbelief. "Give me as many odd looks as you like. It's pretty much true. Now, get to bed. I don't really want to continue this conversation." Death said finally. BeastBoy stared at him for a few more seconds, then moved quickly out of the room, leaving Death to watch his programming, although Death had switched the channels from the lewd program, an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

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The next morning, the Titans awoke to find Death watching a romantic comedy with a bored look on his face. While the other Titans ate breakfast, Death had apparently snacked in the middle of the night, and had drank a few sodas. The morning went on normally for the Titans, while Death continued watching TV, until he finally got up, switched the TV off, and began walking out the door.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked.

"Out. More specifically, I'm just going to walk around the city." Death said simply.

"You're not going to reap somebody's soul, are you?" Cyborg asked.

"I guess that depends on what happens out there." Death said.

"I don't want you causing a panic or something." Robin said seriously.

"I don't think it's any business of yours, Bird Boy." Death said.

"It's 'Robin.' You'd do well to remember my name." Robin said, gritting his teeth.

"Your name is a type of bird. Thus, Bird Boy." Death said. "Hope you'll forgive me if I don't get on my knees and worship you, Mr. Hero." Death said dryly. Robin quickly walked over to Death, and picked him up by the throat area of his robe, an angry look in his eyes. "Oh, looks like I've offended you!" Death said in mock surprise. Looking at Robin straight in the eye, Death spoke up. "Go ahead. Do it. Go ahead and kill Death. Nice little title for you to go around, huh? 'Robin, the Death Killer.' I can see you want it. That easily distinguishable lust for power, which you disguise as a want for respect. Taking me out...it would be a nice little ego boost, wouldn't it? Nice little satisfaction for your wounded pride. Go ahead, Bird Boy...do it." Death challenged.

All the other Titans watched tensely as the two stared each other down. Robin looked furious, until he got a good look at the expression in Death's eyes. Blank...distant...expectant...as if there was a longing in there. It was the empty look of someone who'd been through horrible things, and lost their sense of self. Robin set him down, and Death didn't say anything, but immediately headed out the door, while Robin stared at his hands, shaking slightly.

_'That look...'_ he thought. _'It looked...almost like I was back when I was obsessed with Slade. Emotionless...distant...uncaring...And yet, the look of one whose feelings are guiding them, even if it doesn't show...'_

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And so it came that around noontime, Death wandered the city, scoping out for something that only he could know, and it was obvious he didn't want to tell. As he walked down the street, he saw a young man and woman walking, when they turned and the man led the woman to what must have been her house. By this time, Death was within earshot of their conversation.

"I'll see you later." the woman said seductively, and the man smiled.

"I can't wait." he said, and the two kissed, before the woman turned to go inside, but not before the man had slapped her lightly on the rear, prompting a playful squeal from the woman.

Death stared at these events blankly, then tapped his throat twice with his skeletal hand, and put his hood up, obscuring his face from view, and made his scythe appear in his hand in a flash of black fire. As the man headed his way, he stood right in front of him, making sure to appear menacing.

It appeared to have worked. "W-Who are you?" the man stammered. "What are you?"

Death then spoke, his voice now uncharacteristically deep. "I am Death. I have come to take you." he said dramatically.

The man began to panic. "B-But...but why?" he exclaimed.

"Because of that." Death said, pointing behind the man. The man whirled around quickly, but became confused when there was nothing there. At this point, Death could not contain himself. Losing the deep voice, he began laughing loudly, and his hood fell down. "Gullible fool!" he laughed. "I'm not gonna kill you. Not unless circumstances change." he said simply, walking past the man. "Douche." Death said finally, leaving the man in shocked silence.

Later, Death continued walking, this time with his scythe with him, although it was in staff form, so as to attract less attention. Of course, the skeletal hand still caught some attention, as demonstrated by the fact that when he walked by a young teenage couple, the boy began speaking up.

"Look at that loser. Things he's a mage or something." he said, well within Death's range of hearing. Death stopped, and faced the two as they came nearby.

"No, I don't think I'm a mage." he said, pulling off his skeletal arm, and holding it forward, while it pointed at the boy. "I'm just looking to bone someone, too. Get it? Bone?" he said, to the shocked silence of the couple. "Guess my humor's lost on you. But you have to admit, it is funny if she thinks that you're in love with her and not just trying to get free rides every night. Well, good day." Death said, walking past the group, and smiling sadistically as he heard the couple arguing, and the resounding sound of an obviously slapped man.

Still, Death's times in the city weren't over, as he got his best view when he passed by an alley in a somewhat more populated area of the city. As he passed by the alley, he heard some noises, and decided to investigate. Upon looking into the alley, he found another man and woman in the middle of actions as lewd as the program Death had been seeing on TV. Why that had chosen that alley, at that time, with this amount of people, no one knew. Death stared blankly, then stepped next to the the alleyway, and cleared his throat.

"WHOA! GET A LOAD OF THE INDECENT EXPOSURE HERE! TALK ABOUT PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION!" he screamed loudly, immediately drawing a crowd of people to the alley, where some either stared, or immediately turned away, some of them covering a child's eyes while they walked away in disgust.

Laughing at the mortification he must have caused the passionate couple, Death ran a good distance away from the site, as he was already completely forgotten.

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Meanwhile, in the cloudy area that Death had been sentenced from, two beings watched in silence at Death's antics. One was the vehement angelic being in blue armor. The other was the beautiful angel whom Death had called Felicia.

"It seems he is not learning his lesson at all, maiden of Life." the armored being said. "One can only wonder if your suggestion was merely a stalling tactic." he said simply, before vanishing in a glow of light.

This left Felicia alone, looking desperately at Death as he ran from the outburst that had created a crowd. "No...he will change. I know of it. Please...you must!" she said sadly, almost crying in emotion for Death, though one would wonder what her reasoning his. It seems that even Death himself didn't know...

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Death leaned against a wall, bored after his first three events. He was smiling in a way akin to bullies, but he was beginning to lose interest in wandering around the city. He was about to leave the alley he was in, when he saw something that made him stop. The small body of a gray cat lay nearby, a small pool of blood next to it. Death stepped over to the body, and was shocked to find out that it was still breathing, but barely. "I always knew these things happened. You've been hurt by someone. There sure are some sick bastards in the world." Looking back and forth to make sure no one was around, Death placed his skeletal hand on the forhead of the cat, and rather than entering a white space, Death immediately got several flashes of the cat's previous moments, as well as its emotions. The time of birth, unable to see, but feeling the comfort of something warm and familiar...later, laying next to siblings, keeping each other warm...even older, and he was playing with those siblings, as well as their mother...even older, and he still lived with his siblings, but now he was looking up at a young boy and his parents, and he was picked up and petted gently by all three, purring in pure elation...

After these images flashed in his mind, Death split the connection, and looking at the body, he let out something hardly anyone saw. A genuinely sad smile. "Well, you'll probably run when you see me...but I think you deserve another shot." he said, holding out his scythe, and rather than cut the body, the scythe tipped glowed with a golden light, then shot a small beam out at the body, which began glowing as well, until the glow subsided, and the cat's eyes opened slowly, and then it blinked once, standing somewhat wobbily on its feet. Death chuckled a little, prompting the cat's head to turn his way. Death stopped, knowing his skeletal arm was in full view, and waited for the inevitable hiss, or attack, from the animal.

What he got was totally unexpected. The cat began walking towards him, and he tensed up, ready for the scratching. He didn't expect to suddenly feel the cat rubbing its body against his arm, the skeletal one, no less. Death could feel the light vibrations that meant the cat was purring, and although shocked, he slowly began petting the cat, which stood there, contently letting him rub the animal's smooth fur.

A small drop of water fell from Death's eye...

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Aww...I'm sure I almost had everyone hating Death for what he was doing throughout the early parts, but look at that! He's got a little sweet side, don't you think? I hope everyone liked that!

Stay tuned for more, as the next chapter will most likely reveal Death's true origins, and I'm not talking just about him being sentenced from up there...

Don't forget to R&R! Later!


	5. Death's Past Life

Hi, everybody! Be prepared, because now you'll find out a little more about Death, and why he acts the way he does. With that said, let's begin!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans. This version of Death is mine, though.

**Chapter 5: Death's Past Life.**

And so Death walked into the Titans Tower, clutching something close to him. Upon his arrival, however, he was greeted by a scowling Robin, with the other Titans standing nearby, somewhat accusing looks on their faces.

"Not a very happy welcome, I see." Death said simply.

"We've been getting some domestic complaints about you." Robin said, walking up to him.

"Really?" Death said in mock curiosity, walking towards the couch.

"Stay there when I'm talking to you." Robin demanded, grabbing Death's shoulder roughly.

"Hey! Watch it!" Death spat back. "You'll wake the little guy."

"Little guy?" Cyborg said, stepping closer. The other Titans did as well, and saw that Death was holding a small gray cat, which was sleeping soundly in his arms. Death shrugged Robin's shoulder off of him, and walked over to the couch, placing the cat gently down on the couch.

"Okay, now you can lecture me, while I ignore it." Death said dryly.

Robin cleared his throat. "Some citizens are saying you've harassed them, or humiliated them." he said.

"Or exposed their indecent exposure, in one case. Why they chose to bang each other in an alley in broad daylight, is lost on me..." Death said.

Robin sighed in exasperation. "That fact aside, we can't have you messing up our reputation as heroes, thinking only of justice, while you're here. You've taken the two days that we 'owe' you, so I have to ask you to leave the Tower at once." Robin said, crossing his arms.

Death regarded him mildly. "I see. Well, I guess your reputation would mean everything to you. Heaven forbid you could ever have something bad said about you..." he said chastisingly. Glancing to the side, he beckoned BeastBoy over. "Come here, Green Bean." he said. BeastBoy came over, and Death turned his back to the group, bending BeastBoy close to whisper to him. "You see, if I'm kicked out of here, I have nowhere to go. I'm not very keen on the idea of sleeping in an alley somewhere. Thing is, if I do have to leave, I'll have no emotional ties to you guys anymore, and I wouldn't be adverse to revealing certain...secrets some people might have regarding..." he said, quickly glancing towards Raven's direction. "...other people. If you catch my drift. Understand?" he finished.

BeastBoy looked nervous, and gulped, but turned around with a big grin on his face, saying, "Hey, guys! Come on, give him one more day, okay? Everyone deserves another chance! If he does anything bad then, that's fine, but just don't kick him out today! What do you say?" BeastBoy said, looking back and forth between the Titans rapidly.

All the other Titans looked at each other, then back at BeastBoy. Finally, Robin answered with a noncommital, "Fine." After that, the other Titans dispersed, and BeastBoy sighed in relief.

Death patted BeastBoy on the back. "Nice one, Green Bean. Take a dirty magazine out of petty cash." he said, sitting on the couch and turning the TV on. BeastBoy simply gave him a look of confusion, and watched TV as well, although from the kitchen table rather than the couch.

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Later...much later, when the sky was full of stars, Death stood on the roof, looking out at the ocean. The breeze currently blowing made his robe flutter lightly. The gray cat he had brought into the tower was rubbing against his leg, meowing for attention. Death smirked slightly, and bent over to pet the cat for a few minutes. "Gets kind of boring staying up all night, huh?" Death said. "Of course, that wouldn't be a problem, but since I'm physically unable to sleep...Death never rests and all that." he said, scratching the cat under the chin.

After a few seconds, a beam of light hit the tower resonating slightly. Death looked over calmly, as the blue armored being from the heavens stepped out from the beam of light.

"And so we meet once again." the being said.

"Oh, hey Mike." Death said mildly.

"Do not call me that. I refuse to allow someone such as you to call me by such a name."

"Okay, fine. Michael it is, then." Death said.

"Although that may be one step better, I demand you pronounce it correctly! It is pronounced Mikhail, and you are quite aware of that!" the being named Mikhail said.

"Okay, blue blood. Why are you here? Ten to one says you're not here for a social call."

"Indeed I am not. I am here to announce that you have until the evening of tomorrow before you must return to the heavens and receive evaluation. Far be it from me to judge, but I do believe you are failing magnificently." Mikhail said snidely.

"Big deal...they were going to fire me anyway. This was just delaying the inevitable. Everyone up there feels about as much affection for me as you do." Death said.

Mikhail stood there, as if debating something internally. Finally, he spoke out to Death. "Whether such a statement is true or not, I would prefer it if you didn't treat it so lightly." he said, abandoning his usual hostile tone.

Death noticed the change in his tone, and was slightly taken aback. "You really mean it, don't you? What's brought this along?" he asked.

"How you feel about these situations is no business of mine, and I would rather not get involved, but there is someone up there for whom this trial gets more excrutiating as each day goes by."

"Who?"

"The fair maiden of Life." Mikhail said. "The one who spoke up and allowed this trial to happen. She has never left her spot where she oversees your progress every minute of each of these days. As it becomes increasingly clear you are not even trying to learn your lesson, she becomes increasingly distressed. The reason why she would worry over someone such as yourself is beyond me, but perhaps it is just in her beautiful nature." he said.

"Felicia's...worried about me..." Death said, more to himself than anyone else.

"I have said too much. I shall depart now. Remember...tomorrow evening..." Mikhail said, stepping back into the pillar of light, which retracted back up into the heavens and vanished.

Death was silent. He was staring out to the sea again, thinking deeply. The cat that was with him meowed as if it sensed his pain, while Death placed his organic hand over one of his eyes as if wounded, as well as his skeletal hand clutching at his chest, as if his heart was in pain itself. "Felicia..." he said quietly. "This thing is hurting her...but why? Why does the thought of her in pain make me...it can't be what I think it is...not after what's happened..." he said, and as he said that, a few memories that he tried not to remember came to surface...

_"Hey, kid! Come on, let's get out of here! I've had my fill!" a tall, buff teenager was saying, as he and the girl nearly hanging off of him got into the back of a car, and another teen, taller but less buff, got into the passenger seat. Once they had gotten in, the meek looking kid who had been told to take them away got into the driver's seat, and they drove off..._

Another one surfaced...

_As the group of four drove off, the meek looking one tried to contain his frustration while listening to series of sounds and moans coming from the back seat of the car..._

_"Oh...give it to me!" the girl said._

_"Oh, I'll give it, all right! Ugh! Yeah!" the boy said._

_"Hey, give her a couple bangs for me!" the boy in the passenger seat said loudly, obviously a little out of touch with reality. He then turned to the driver. "Hey, why are you driving so carefully and slow? Come on! Add a little flair to it!" he said, diving over to the driver's side._

_"Hey, what the hell are you--!" the driver said, hitting the brakes, but it was too late..._

And one more...

_"Are you kidding me?" the driver said, talking to a robed figure._

_"I'm afraid not. This was your time to go. The tough one next to you has given a good enough reason to live, but you have to come with me." the robed figure said._

_"Yes!" the tough teen said, pumping his fist into the air. He then turned to the driver, and held out his hand. "No hard feelings, right?" he said, his tone somewhat arrogant._

_The driver stood glaring at him for a few minutes, then rammed his elbow into the teen's stomach, causing him to reel backwards, clutching his stomach. "You better rot in hell when you die, you son of a bitch." the driver said..._

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The next morning, as the Titans came in, Death was on the couch, the TV off, a soda can clutched in his hand. He had a thoughtful look on his face, and nothing seemed to register in front of him. The Titans were unsure how to deal with him in this state, until he finally spoke up.

"I'm going to tell you how I died." he said from out of the blue at one point.

All the Titans were taken aback by this statement coming from nowhere.

"You're not going to make it up like last time, are you?" Raven asked suspiciously.

"No." Death said, completely serious, with none of his usual dry wit. "I've done some thinking. I'm leaving today, anyway. I might as well tell you why I act the way I do." he said. All the Titans gathered around for his story. "Well, it won't be much, but...in my mind, it was everything. Anyway, my life was...lackluster from the beginning. My father died when I was young, my siblings outright told me that they hated me, and mom was okay...if she was conscious and sober at the same time. Once a month, I'd say. I went through the typical teenage life, as a meek little guy who didn't talk much, and so I made little friends. Hard to imagine, right?" he said dryly, then continued. "Anyway, the closest thing I had to friends where some popular people who hung out with me because I could help them cheat at school, and crap like that. I hung out with them because I had no other chance of being popular and making friends. But, of course, it didn't work. All that happened was that I was repeatedly taken advantage of. And so it came to pass, that one day, those three people, a jock, his girlfriend, and his brother, went to a party. The typical drugs and drinks party that those types would go to. And guess who got called in to be designated driver when it was all over? Me. So, we drive away, and I'm supposed to drop each of them off, while listening to stoned brother beside me, and the jock and girl banging each others brains out behind me. Oh, I tried to ignore it all, but at one point, I couldn't, seeing as how the stoned brother decided to grab the wheel and make us turn right."

"What's so bad about turning right?" Cyborg asked.

"We were on a cliff road, and the turn we were on was a left turn." Death said simply, and Cyborg gulped. "And so...down we went." Death continued, waving his soda can through the air, whistling as if it was flying through the sky. "Bam! Crash!" Death exclaimed, crushing his can in his hand. "Not a pretty sight once everything was over. But, only me and the banging jock in the back are hurt enough to be near death. And so, we went to the realm that I know have to take people. You see, I deal with people who are dying before their predetermined time. I decide if they have a good enough reason to live again, if they choose to. So, with this guy, the jock gives his reason as love, as in, he loves his girlfriend with all his heart. And so, the guy grants him his life back. Oh, but you'll love this. That crash? That was my time to go. Yup, I was SUPPOSED to die in that crash, and so I had to go with the guy, because even though I wasn't dying before my time, I was in the same area of someone who was. And so I die, and go on to the next world. But because of my nature of skepticism and such, they saw potential in me, and offered me the job of the Death who watched over death before its time. I had nothing to go for, and I was angry, so I took the job. But, since I was still angry, I kept tabs in that jock guy. You know, Mr. 'I Can't Die, I Love That Girl.' Guess what? He had sex with her about five times, then dumped her for someone more attractive than her, at least to him. That pissed me off big time. And so, ever since then, I've never accepted true love as a reason for returning, and always reap the soul of those who give me that as their reason. The higher ups got tired of that after a while, and decided to send me down here to see if I would change my ways. The result...well, the result stands before you now." he said, finishing his story.

The Titans were silent after listening to Death's history...

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, there you go! Finally, an explanation as to why Death acts the way he does! Hope you enjoyed that chapter!

Next chapter is probably the last, but we'll have to see, won't we? Don't forget to R&R! See ya!


	6. Life, Love, And Death

Hello, everyone! Well, it looks like we've come to the final chapter of Death's little saga. Still, we had a good run, right? Let's finish him up with a good final chapter, shall we? Let's go!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the Teen Titans. I own this version of Death, however.

**Chapter 6: Life, Love, And Death.**

After the story, the Titans were speechless momentarily.

"Not a pretty story, huh?" Death said. "Any questions?"

It was at this point that the Titans seemed to regain their composure, and began asking a few questions of Death.

"So, the crash...is that why...?" BeastBoy said, trailing off. Death noticed that his glance fell on his skeletal arm.

"Yeah, that's why I got a bony arm. My arm got completely removed during the crash, so after I died, I got this little guy. Maybe not all that attractive, but...it's useful." he said, his skeletal arm popping off and scurrying around as if happy. Death bent down and picked it up, reattaching it. "Seems like it has a mind of its own, though." he said.

"Okay." Cyborg said, nodding. "Uhh...what ever happened to the guy who lived, when you didn't?" he asked meekly.

"Don't act so timid about it." Death said as if scolding him. "Well...I was still upset, so I tried not to keep tabs on him. But...I've always been the kind of guy to overhear conversations whenever they get interesting. Imagine my surprise when I'm told by the Death that works with the predetermined death's, that the guy was taking steroids, and took a little too much. Ironic that the organ most associated with his reason for living...the heart, of course...was the organ to give up on him and let him go. His predetermined death, too. I was in a good mood for the rest of the week." he said sadistically.

"Now, here's something I'm unsure of." Robin interjected. "This whole issue on predetermined death...does that mean that our entire life is dictated by that destiny, and nothing we do is our own choice?" he asked.

Death didn't answer immediately, but rather stared at his crumpled can of soda thoughtfully. "How to put this...Yes, and no, Bird Boy." Death said. Robin ignored the unwanted nickname, still listening intently. "A person's life is...essentially predetermined, but...only to some extent. A life is determined to lead to a couple different destinations. There are crucial junctions in a person's life, where a choice will determine which direction they begin to travel in their life, although a person usually has a chain of two or three crucial choices to reach their final path. Let's see...how can I explain this? Let's use an example...oh, right, I got to see my path after death, so let's use me. Obviously, my first crucial choice was deciding whether or not to be 'friends,' for lack of a better term, with those jerks that led to my death. Had I not chosen to be friends with them, my path would have changed, and I instead would...and I'm not joking, here...have committed a murder out of jealousy, and would have spent several years in jail, living, but effectively ruining my life." Death said, as if was nothing.

"That's...horrible, man." Cyborg said.

"Do you mean that no matter what you had chosen to do, your life was destined to end unsatisfactorally?" Starfire asked.

"Not exactly." Death said. "You see, while in jail, I would have had the choice to stand against my other inmates, or lose hope and not go against anything at all. If I had chosen to not do anything, I would've ended up committing suicide in my cell in the night, after several times of being taken advantage of...physically, this time." Death said, and everyone still looked shocked at this information. "However, if I had chosen to stand against them, I would have served my sentence with no real trouble, and emerged from the jail as a changed person. I would have ended up being a police officer, and even though I wouldn't have been the most able, physically, I would have been excellent at negotiations and getting information from suspects." he said. "Also, back to my first choice, if I had chosen to be friends with those jerks, which I did, a crucial choice would have presented itself. It turns out, if I had declined to drive my 'friends' from the party, they would have tried to drive themselves, would have gotten pulled over, and effectively, all their career dreams would have been shot down the drain, whereas I would have gone on to have a successful career in acting, even starring in a blockbuster smash about a guy who can see the lifespan of others, but not himself. Who knows who will play in that movie now, if it even comes to fruition..." Death said.

The Titans were silent again for a little while, then Raven spoke up firmly.

"While we're on the subject of you, let me ask you something. What makes you think you can toy with a person's life because of your own grudges? Not letting people live again because they chose the love you never felt...who do you think you are...God?" she demanded.

"Hey!" Death said forcefully. "Let's get some things straight. First of all, I may not accept love, but I've heard that I'm actually a lot more lenient on other choices deemed suitable for living again. Second, I would never, EVER...even BEGIN to think I was anywhere NEAR the level that God is on. That guy can scare you and comfort you at the same time. I'm not going to give him such an insult as to compare him to me." Death said seriously. "I think that's enough Q&A for now." Death said, leaning back. "I'd just like to relax until it's time to go."

At that moment, the alarm went off throughout the tower, snapping the Titans to attention.

"But I guess I just can't, huh?" Death said flatly, not looking up.

On the screen that Robin had pulled up, a single man was running out of a bank, whose glass doors had just exploded open. He appeared to be laughing wildly, as he fired several weapons he had on him in every direction.

"I've heard of this guy. Some maniac who loves his weapons, and does crimes for the thrill of it. Armed, and very dangerous. Time to take him out!" Robin said, leading all the Titans out the door. They left so fast that Death was left behind without any kind of attempt at convincing him to come.

Looking back at the door they had just ran out, Death turned back. "Always in such a rush...I just can't get used to that." he said. "I'll give them a couple of minutes, then come see how they're doing." he said, relaxing slightly.

So, Death waited the few minutes, then stood up, made his scythe appear in his hand, then walked out the doors...

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When Death finally got to the site where the maniac was, he was surprised that he didn't immediately see the Titans duking it out with the man. As he scanned the area, he finally found out where they were. They were currently sheltered behind a car, apparently waiting for an opening. Death tried to walk quickly over to where they were, but was spotted by the maniac.

"Ah ha! Thought you could get away, huh? Not on my watch!" he screamed, pulling out a gun.

"Dude! Get down!" BeastBoy called out to Death. Death ignored him, instead readying his scythe as he drew closer to the maniac, the maniac walking closer to him, as well.

"Try it, pal." Death challenged. "My life means nothing right now." he said.

"What is he doing?" BeastBoy said.

"That so?" the maniac said. "Well, then, you won't mind if I take it from you!" he yelled, firing one shot from the gun in his hand.

It happened before anyone could react. BeastBoy, one of the more caring Titans, and the least likely to think things through, leapt out from behind the car, ran at almost inhuman speed, and knocked Death out of the way, taking the bullet himself.

"What?" Death said, as he hit the ground just as BeastBoy did. "Hey, Green Bean!" he said, quickly moving over to BeastBoy. BeastBoy's wound was beginning to bleed, and it didn't look good. "W-Why the hell'd you do that?" Death asked.

BeastBoy smiled, in spite of the pain. "I'm a superhero. I can't let anyone die...especially not a friend." he said.

Those words seemed to strike a chord in Death's chilled heart. Placing his hand over his eye, his voice shook as he spoke. "You...dummy. I can't die..." he said, before standing up, and turning toward the maniac that shot him. "Things are looking pretty grim for you, asshole!" he shouted, running towards the maniac before he could even react, holding him up with his skeletal hand.

The maniac struggled against Death's grip, then got a manic look in his eye. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a hideously sharp knife, blood still on the blade. "I'm not gonna be taken in by you!" he screamed, raising the blade, and thrusting downward, impaling the blade in Death's organic arm, and pulling down viciously, completely severing Death's normal arm. Throughout all this, Death merely winced, once. As his normal arm fell to the ground, it disappeared into clear mist, vanishing from the physical world. The maniac was laughing wildly, until he saw what was happening to Death. Mere seconds after his normal arm had been severed, Death was now sprouting a new skeletal arm, giving him a matching pair. With his new skeletal arm, Death grabbed the maniac's throat roughly, squeezing hard, eliciting a gasp from the man. Using his other arm to grasp his scythe, he turned it into its spear form, holding it at the man's throat.

"Right now, I would like nothing more than to ram this in your neck and watch you choke on it." he said viciously. The man's eyes widened in fear. "But, that's not my job." he said simply, and the man seemed to relax. "But...THIS is!" Death yelled, pulling his spear moded scythe back, and ramming it in the maniac's chest, using it to lower him. As soon as he retracted it, he began slashing like crazy, cutting at various angles, with several slashes. The assualt continued, until etched in the glowing white light of a cut spirit, was some type of intricate symbol. "The Japanese symbol for 'death...' Good thing I watch so much anime." Death said, letting the light dim from the man, and letting him fall to the ground, unconscious. Wasting no time, Death ran over to where BeastBoy was, examining him. "Not good, is he?" Death asked, already sensing the answer. The other Titans shook their heads solemnly. BeastBoy's eyes were closed, his breathing beginning to get shallow. "Damn...I never thought it would come to this..." Death said, placing his hand on BeastBoy's forehead, and closing his eyes.

After a few seconds, he and BeastBoy were in the pure white area that had become all too familiar to Death. BeastBoy was looking around. "Dude, where am I?" he asked.

Death sighed. "You're in a blank realm between life and death, basically. It's time for judgment." Death said.

"Y-You mean...I'm dying?"

"Afraid so. And the only way I can let you back is if you have a good reason for returning. Now, before you shout something out, let me advise you...if you choose the team that you're a part of, it won't work, because the team's most likely not a permanent thing. It has to be something immaterial, and something that you'd never go back on, unless circumstances absolutely forced you." Death said.

BeastBoy nearly panicked, but contained himself long enough to place his hand to his chin in thought, pondering the ideas, while Death waited passively. "Something that I won't go back on...OH! I know! Raven!" he said to Death.

"Princess Pale?" Death said. "What about her?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'll never go back on her. You know...I...love...her..." BeastBoy said, trailing off at what he just said, worried he had just said the wrong thing to say to this version of Death.

Death's head was down, so BeastBoy couldn't see his face. He could only listen as Death began talking. "Love...I always hated it when people gave that as their answer...I always sent them immediately to their doom after that..." he said. BeastBoy gulped, as Death began lifting his right arm, not looking up. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, as Death's hand began moving while his arm rose. After a few second, Death hand was pointing straight forward, and his handing was moving, to form...

...A thumbs up sign. "I need to let go of my grudges." Death said. "You pass." he said simply, finally looking up. "Just take care of her, all right?"

"Okay!" BeastBoy said happily. Seconds passed by. "Umm...so when do I start living again?" he asked.

"Be patient, Green Bean. She should be here soon." Death said.

"She? 'She' who?" BeastBoy asked. No sooner had he finished his sentence, that several white feathers began to fall from the sky of the space they were in.

"Me." came a beautiful voice from the sky, as a stunning young woman, probably in her late teens, descended from the sky, her white wings flowing behind her. She had beautiful blue eyes, and shining skin, and platinum hair, the kind you think you'd see only in an anime or something. "I am the one who grants the regaining of life for those deemed deserving." she said.

"She's my partner, in my line of work. You see, alone, I only have enough power to bring back small animals to life. In fact, that cat that's still sleeping in the Tower, is proof of that. So, to counter that lack of power, I've been assigned someone who deals with granting life back to people. Thus, Felicia here." Death said.

The angel named Felicia smiled sweetly, then held out her hands. There was a collection of what looked like glowing yellow and white light. Felicia blew at the collection, which spread out like so many small sparkles, spreading over BeastBoy. BeastBoy felt light, and felt as if he was being lifted from the ground...

A second later, Death was pulling back from BeastBoy's body, as BeastBoy was miraculously healed of his wounds, aided by Raven's powers, which worked better with non fatal wounds.

"Death...did you just...?" Robin began to ask.

"Just doing my job." Death said, not looking at him. Everyone helped BeastBoy up, checking on his status, but he insisted that he was fine. By this time, the police had apprehended the maniac that had shot him, still unconscious from Death's assault, even if he wasn't physcally wounded. A few seconds later, after the Titans had finished feeling relief for BeastBoy's condition, a beam of white light reached down from the heavens, hitting the ground a few feet near Death. "Hmm. Already? I guess they've decided to take me back early..." Death said.

"You're leaving already?" Cyborg asked.

"Looks like it." Death said. "Looks like I've gotta go. But, I guess it's been a decent time. On my part anyway. So long...Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and BeastBoy...Or, as I've been calling you...Bird Boy, Metal Man, Princess Pale, Alien Airhead, and Green Bean. Well, I'm out." he said, walking towards the beam of light. Before he walked into it, however, he stopped, getting an evil smirk on his face. Quickly, he turned around. "Yo, Princess Pale! Guess what?" he yelled, smiling evilly. "Green Bean's got the hots for you! He can't live without you!" he said, then ran quickly into the beam of light, which retracted back into the heavens.

"Hey!" BeastBoy yelled, turning to Raven, whose face was red. BeastBoy began blushing, as well. "Well, uhh...guess the secret's out..." he said sheepishly.

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Much later in the day, Death was back in his old home, standing on the clouds like they were solid ground. He was alone, just looking around, when the angel Felicia arrived.

"I have gotten word from the council. They are allowing you to keep your job, pending further investigation." she said.

"Well, can't say I blame them." Death said, cutting a small part in the clouds below him. Like before, a big, comfy black recliner emerged from under them. Death immediately sat down. "They probably think me letting ol' Green Bean through was a fluke." he said.

"Was it?" Felicia asked.

Death sighed heavily. "I don't know." he said truthfully. "It's like I said. I always hated when someone said love was their reason. Something I never experienced while I was alive, as well as having seen that it can just be used as an excuse...it always angered me. I've held on to that grudge for years, now. And if TV's taught me anything, it's that nothing good comes from holding grudges...and that dubbing anime is very hit and miss." he said. He sighed again, looking to his side. "I think it's time to move on from my old prejudices. I'm tired of it all. I'm just going to forget it." he said. Before he could say anything more, he suddenly found himself being pulled into an embrace by Felicia, who hugged him tightly. "Felicia?" he asked.

"I'm so proud of you..." she said adoringly. "You have no idea how hard it is for someone to let go of old grudges. Some never do, even long after death. Yet, you have decided to simply throw away such a grudge. I have never been so happy for you as I am now." she said sweetly. "It's this kind, gentle side that you try to hide that makes me love you."

At that, Death stiffened. Still locked in Felicia's embrace, he said. "W-What did you say?" he said in disbelief. He was sure he had misheard her.

Felicia didn't break the embrace. "I said I love you. Even when you first came to your position, angry and bitter at the world, I sensed that it wasn't the only side to you. And sure enough, as I got to know you, I learned of your sweet inner nature, that you repeatedly tried to abandon, thinking it got, and would get, you nowhere in any kind of life. Yet, try as you might, you couldn't let it go, but tried to hide it beneath a tough exterior. I had fallen in love with every part of you before very long. I will say it as many times as I need to...I love you." she said. She suddenly became aware of Death's shoulders shaking, and she pulled apart the embrace, to find Death with his head down, shoulders still shaking. "Are you...?" she began.

"No...don't look at me right now." Death said, turning away. But Felicia would not relent, and maneuvered her way around Death's shifting, to face him, seeing that he was trying to hold back a few tears. "Come on, Felicia...nobody's going to be happy about it, if you let this out. A girl from Life falling for a jerk from Death? It'll just seem wrong." he said, wiping his eyes as he calmed himself down. He sat down again, and Felicia bent over him.

"I do not care. To me, love is never wrong, no matter what others may say." she said. "So long as the two involved are happy, it should not matter to others. Which bring to light the question...how do you feel about me?" she asked, gazing at him right in the eyes.

Death could never keep his speech ability steady when he looked at those beautiful blue eyes. "Well...I..." he stammered. "I always...though it wasn't possible...especially for someone like me, and especially considering...that it was someone...like you, but I...I lo..." he said, but he was cut short as Felicia closed the distance between their faces, locking their lips together in a kiss. The kiss lasted several seconds, a gentle first kiss, very full of love, even if it was a first kiss for both.

After the kiss was over, Death and Felicia pulled away, and Death stared into those beautiful blue eyes, and a few tears fell from his face, for he was finally unable to contain his joy, as he was able to emit those words he thought he would never be able to say...

"I love you, too."

**THE END**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Aww...A sweet little ending, to show that Death isn't as bad as he seemed in the beginning. Plus, after hearing his story, I bet you all were probably thinking he needed a little something good to happen in his...well, afterlife. There it is! He had a beautiful angel in love with him all this time. Got to love that kind of thing making up for a crappy life.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Why don't some of you check out my other stories, preferably "Prepare For War!" which is a huge crossover project I'm working on. Very epic, it should be. Anyway, until we meet again! Later!


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